Apple Launches iPhone Sports App

Apple has launched Apple Sports, a free iPhone app that provides access to schedules, real-time scores, standings, and betting odds for five professional sports: soccer, basketball, hockey, baseball, and football. Apple Sports also covers college basketball and football, so I’ll see how Cornell’s basketball team does in the last few weeks of the Ivy League season.

Three thoughts:

• Despite including soccer leagues in Germany, Italy, Spain, and Mexico, Apple Sports is currently available only in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Why restrict it to these regions?
• Apple ignores everything other than major spectator sports, including track & field. I’d love to see real-time results from the World Athletics Indoor Championships next month. Perhaps Apple will acknowledge that other sports exist in time for that other little sporting event later this year—the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
• Betting odds? Yes, even though it remains illegal in Apple’s home state of California, sports betting is now legal in 38 states and the District of Columbia. In 2022, Apple removed ads for gambling appsin the App Store in response to complaints, so it’s disappointing to see the company re-engaging with the industry. At least you can hide betting odds in Settings > Sports, which would be especially helpful for those struggling with gambling addictions.